Hopper doorlock and lock mounting



April 16, 1935. J. .1. TATUM HOPPER DOORLOCK AND LOCK MOUNTING FiledDec. 25, 1931 I6klb Tatiana Patented Apr. 16, 1935 p UNITED STATES ATENTOFFICE V 1,997,704 HOPPER DOORLOCK AND LocK MOUNTING John J. Tamm,Baltimore, Md.

Application December 23, 1931, Serial No. 582,817

sol-aims. (01. 105-308) This invention relates tolocks or latches forimproved latch and latch mounting thereto, the the doors of hoppers ofhopper cars and the like, latch appearing in door locking position. andto novel and improved means for mounting Fig. 2 is a view in frontelevation of the hopper the same upon the hopper. shown in Fig. 1.

The hoppers of hopper cars are commonly Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottomplan View of 5 made of pressed steel sheets, which sheets, bethestructure shown in Figs. 1 and 2. cause of the rough usage to which theyare sub- Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic end view of a saw jected in service,become bent or distorted and tooth hopper car embodying generally theimdeteriorate from corrosion, so that such hopper provements disclosedin Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

sheets require frequent renewal and repairs. The Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of such a car as that 10 latches for the doors cause troubleand expense shown in Fig. 4. I also, because of the large number ofseparate and Referring now more particularly to the drawindependentparts generally used, which are fasing, l designates a car hopper of atype comtened to each other and to the hopper sheets by monly known as asaw-tooth hopper, of which a bolts or rivets which'are liable towork'loosa'rennumber may be arranged in rows or otherwise 15 dering thelatches inoperative or insecure in upon the bottom of a car A, as shownin Figs. 4 action. and 5, for the discharge of the contents thereof.

'One object of my invention is to provide a In the hopper car structureshown in Figs. 4 and novel and improved construction of hopper door 5,two longitudinal rows or series of such dis- 0 latch and simplified-mounting means therefor, charge hoppers I are mounted upon theunderwhereby a positive, reliable and secure latch havside of the car onopposite sides of its longitudinal ing a safe automatic locking actionis produced center, with the hoppers of each seriesarranged and a typeof'mounting furnished which ensures in groups on opposite sides of thetransverse easy motion of the latch and a certain engagecenter of thecar, the hopper doors of one group 5 ment of the latch with its keeperand the firm facing toward one end of the car and the hopper fasteningof the latch in closed position. doors of the other group facing, towardtheop- Another object of the invention is to provide a posite end of thecar, in accordance with comhopper formed of cast steel sheets with whichthe mon practice. The arrangement of the hoppers parts of the hoppermounting may be integrally upon the car may, however, be varied toaccord cast or to which cast mountings may be secured, With any of theestablished hopper car types or 30 thus furnishing a construction ofhopper which practices, my invention applying to a novel con;- "issubstantially free from the stated objections struction of lock or latchfor the hopper doors applying to pressed steel hoppers and which 2.1-and means, which may form part of the hopper lows of the use of latchmountings of simplified construction, for mounting the same, and. whichform and composed of a lesser number of parts is adapted for use uponhoppersof various types 35 than ordinarily employed and which are lessliable to provide safe and reliable door locking means 'to work loose orto become otherwise inoperative thereforor inefiective in lockingaction, In the exemplified dlSClOSlllG Of saw-tooth Still another objectof the invention is to prohopper I, the hopper is Provided with a downda, Construction f hopper adapted f the wardly and rearwardly slopingfront endportion 40 stable support of the latch its mount while 2 havmga Opening therein a W WfiI giving a proper space for third railclearance and i i sloping bottom 3 arranged n when the car is used inelectrified zones, and at Vergent relatlon to the hopper from and interthe same time furnishing outletof increased seating the Same at thebottom of the doorway area for the. discharge of the load from the car.g mnel: g ggg fi i a 8 45 With these and other objects in view, whichwill gg gg' z' its g 5; i zg appear m COWS? of the sumomed descl'lptwntically on a horizontal transverse axis and adaptthe mventlon 0f thenavel features 9:? ed to normally close by gravity to seal thedoorconstruction, combination and arrangement of w against the escape ofth hopper n g 50 parts herein after fully described and claimed, Inagcordance ith my i ti th hon pe ref renc b n had to the mp nyin drawside walls or sheets are preferably made of cast 1 I sheet steel insteadof pressed steel, as pressed 1 IS a VIEW 111 e elevation of a pper steelsheets are easily subject to buckling and 5.5 of saw-tooth type showingthe application of my distortion from the service strains and roughusage which they are compelled to stand, as well as deterioration fromcorrosion due to the action of the elements, while cast steel is free orpractically free from such objections. Moreover, the use of pressedsteel sheets requires the employment of numerous separate mounting partsor fittings for the door locking elements and the riveting of thesemountings or fittings in position, with the result that the lockingelements are liable to work loose or to be broken or otherwise damagedor to be thrown out of alinement, so that they are rendered inoperativeor ineffective and unreliable in action. By the use of cast steel sheetsthese objections may be wholly or largely obviated, as the greaternumber of the mounting parts or fittings may be cast integral therewith.

In the hopper structure shown, the outer side sheet 5, at least, of thehopper body I is made in practice of cast steel, and on the sheet 5 arecast integral with the sheet the parts of the mounting for the lockinglatch and its locking dog. As shown, the sheet 5 is provided, adjacentto the bottom of the doorway, with the forked or bifurcated fulcrumbracket member 8 cast integral therewith and projecting laterallytherefrom, between the arms of which forked bracket member 8 the doorlatch 9 is mounted. This latch comprises a bar, hinged intermediately ofits length upon a fulcrum pin or rivet lil engaging the fork arms of thebracket so as to provide said latch bar with a latch arm H and acontrolling arm l2. The latch arm li extends at its free and beyond thefront of the doorway 2 and is provided with a latch hook 13 having alocking shoulder 14 and a beveled contact nose [5 leading thereto. Thelatch shoulder is adapted for engagement with the adjacent latch en'-gaging or keeper portion of a spreader bar l5 secured to the base of thedoor 6 for locking the door in closed position, and a specialconstruction of said keeper portion of the bar l5 and said shoulder ofthe latch is provided to secure a firm locking engagement between thelatch and the spreader bar under pressure. of the load, thereby addingto the security of the connection. The end or arm (2 of the latch ismade of increased thickness or weighted with respect to the arm li, sothat it normally tends to overcome the weight of the. hooked end of thelatch and to drop by gravity to automatically move the hooked lockingend of the latch into. locking position. This weighted end or arm of thelatch is adapted for engagement by the curved peripheral face of asegmental locking dog l6 pivotally supported upon a pivot pin I1 cariedby a pair of bracket members I8 and I9 formed upon and cast integralwith the sheet 5, which dog when in working position liesin the pathofupward movement ofthe end l2 of the latch and prevents the latch frombeing casually retracted by jolts, jars, vibrations orother servicemotions and releasing the door 6. The dog is provided with a stopprojection 20 arranged to engage a stop projection 21- cast with thebracket member- I9, whereby the forward swinging movement of the dogwhen in release position is limited andsaid dog maintained in positionto be engaged by the weighted latch arm in theclosing movement-of thedoor. The wall or sheet 5 is shown as provided with an opening 22normally covered by a pivoted cover memberorflap 23, which opening is soarranged asto allow arod, lever or other suitable tool;to be insertedinto the hopper through said wall orsheet andmanipulated for the;purpose of prying loose the lading in the car should it become packedhard or frozen. This opening can also be used for the insertion of asteam heating pipe or gas pipe for the purpose of heating the contentsin the car if frozen in order to secure a free and quick discharge ofthe lading.

As before stated, a special construction of the keeper portion of thestifiener or spreader bar l5 and the shoulder M of the latch I3 isemployed in order to secure a firm locking engagement between thespreader bar and the latch. As shown, the latch shoulder I4 is beveledor undercut at an effective retaining angle between the plane of thedoor when in closed position and the plane of the latch when in doorengaging position and the keeper portion of the bar is inclined at acorresponding angle so as to have an overlapping engagement, so that theoutward pressure of the lading on the door will force the keeper portionof the bar l5 into wedging engagement with the latch shoulder M whichwill overhang the surface of the bar I5 engaged thereby. By this means afirm and positive interlocking engagement between the spreader bar andlatch will be secured to increase the security of the locking connectionand to prevent or reduce to a material degree liability of casualdisengagement of the latch from the bar in the event that from any causethe retaining dog l6 should become retracted, torn away or renderedinoperative. In the form disclosed the bar is zhaped and disposed withits body portion extending outwardly from and at right angles to thedoor, one of its flanges, namely, its inner longitudinally extendingflange, projecting downwardsuch that when the door is closed and latchedthe arm H of the latch will lie under the body portion of the bar [5,while the shoulder I4 of the latch will overlap or overhang the inclinedkeeper flange of the bar I5, whereby a wedgelock engagement between thebar and latch will be secured and maintained under the outward pressureof the lading on the door, to prevent or reduce to a minimum liabilityof the latch becoming casually disengaged even in the event that it isnot held from retraction by the dog l8.

In the hopper construction fragmentarily shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 andillustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 4 and 5, the inner hopper walls 4are straight or vertical while the outer hopper walls 5 inclinedownwardly and inwardly between the top and bottom walls of the hopper,thus decreasing the width of each hopper toward its bottom and outletend. By this means a clearance space is provided at each side of the carbetween the walls 5 and the vertical plane of each side of the car forthird rail clearance in the travel of the car through electrified railzones. This form of each hopper l is also advantageous in enabling theupper portions of the hoppers to be made wider so as to provide anincreased size of discharge opening for discharge of the load over aconstruction in which the hopper walls 5 are straight and vertical andthe hopper is of equal width from top to bottom, while at the same timeproviding the third rail clearance space referred to. Also it will beseen that the latch when in locking position inclines downwardly andforwardly parallel with and at an angle of inclination conformably withthat or" the hopper bottom 3, with its hooked end i3 upwardly directedfor upward locking movement and engagement with the looking or spreaderbar IS on the door. It will thus be understood that when the latch is inrelease position and the door open, the weighted arm or end 12 will dropand swing the hooked end 53 upwardly, so that the beveled nose it willlie in the path of movement of the extended end of the spreader bar l.As a result, when the door is allowed to close by gravity, as after thedischarge of the load, the weight of the door in its closing motion willcause the extended end of bar 5 to engage and ride up on the bevelednose !5 of the latch, thus depressing the hooked end of the latch andpermitting the bar I5" to ride thereover and into locking engagementwith the shoulder l 4, the weighted end of the latch then projecting thehooked end of the latch upward for positive locking engagement with thebar l5 and at the same time moving into engagement with the dog IE to belocked thereby to maintain the latch in looking position. A verypositive and reliable automatic locking action is thus obtained and, asthe latch and dog mounts are of rigid construction and integral with thesheet 5, and therefore can not become displaced or warped or otherwiseget out of shape, it will be evident that the parts of the latch willalways be maintained in working alinement and the hooked end of thelatch in position to interlock with the spreader bar. The slope of thewall or sheet '5 provides a third rail clearance space sufiicient toreceive and accommodate the latch and its working parts withoutliability of the same coming in contact with the third rail or itshousing.

As particularly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the lower portion 5a of the sidewall or sheet 5 is offset inwardly, by means of an overhanging ofisetportion 522 between it and the superposed normal part of the wall orsheet, thus forming a third rail clearance space at such side of thehopper in which the latch elements are housed and over-v hung by theportion 5b so as to be protected to a greater degree against liabilityof injury by contact with extraneous stationary or flying objects. Thelatch fulcrum bracket 8 and the dog supporting brackets l8 and I9 are ofsuitable form to adapt themto be eiiectively cast upon and integrallywith these portions 5a and 5b of the side sheet.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection withthe drawing, theconstruction and operation of my improved latch mechanism will bereadily understood and appreciated by those versed in the art without afurther and extended description. While the structures disclosed arepreferred, it will, of course, be understood, as stated, that changes inthe form, proportion and details of construction of the parts may bemade, within scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims,without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a hopper door look, a hopper having a cast metal wall providedwith an offset portion forming a recess lying inwardly of the plane ofsaid wall, a latch support cast with the'ofiset portion of the wall andarranged to lie wholly within said recess, anda door engaging latchmounted on said support.

2. In a hopper door look, a hopper having a Wall comprising an upperwall portion, a lower wall portion lying inwardly of the plane of saidupper wall portion, and an oblique intermediate wall portion connectingsaid upper and lower wall portions, upper and lower supporting bracketsmounted respectively upon the intermediate and lower wall portions, adoor engaging latch carried by the supporting bracket on the said lowerwall portion, and a latch engaging dog carried by the supporting bracketon the said intermediate wall portion.

3. In a hopper door look, a hopper having a cast metal wall comprisingan upper wall portion, a lower wall portion lying inwardly of the planeof said upper wall portion, and an oblique intermediate wall portionconnecting said upper and lower wall portions, upper and lowersupporting brackets mounted respectively upon and cast with theintermediate and lower wall portions, a door engaging latch carried bythe supporting bracket on the said lower wall portion, and a latchengaging dog carried by the supporting bracket on the said intermediatewall portion.

JOHN J. TATUM.

